Compressor control apparatus



June 30, 1931. F". NEALE COMPRESSOR CONTROL APPARATUS Filed March 28, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l [N V EN TOR. $34! 71% A TTORNEYS June 30, 1931. NEAL: 1,812,057 I COMPRESSOR CONTROL APPARATUS Filed March 28, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q 46' INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS,

i V s- 7 Fig. 2 1s a detail sectional v1ew;taken' on 3 ditions';

tain modifications otthelatches. In Fig. 1 I have shown a portion'of the Patented Jnne.3 1931 umTEo ERED NEALE, or CLEVE AND, 'oniog-iessrenon BY MnsNE- AssI GnMnN Ts,"To THE.

-1vI ID-LAND srnnnrnonuo'rs oo r nY, or" CLEVELAND, OHIO g v im' TR LTAW BATUS,. I

Application MarchZS, marli seri'ai 116,173,066.

The inventi on relates T to compressed air s systems, and more particularly. to the 'gow ernor or ccntroloi a continuously running compressor.

- The generalohjectfo f the invention is to provide a controlmechanism for acontmu} ously runningooinpressor wherein the inlet or relief valve is held open whenjthe reser s voir pressnre reaches the desired} maximum pressurehnd isperniitte d. to fnnction nor;

nially when. the pressure in the system drops to a predeterm ned minimuinr The present invention is characterized by the factthat a pair of latches cooperate to hold theinlet or relief valve open, and that one of these latches is moved to actnate the other latch by means responsive to pressure changes 1n the systenrfl I I invention further consists in the sev eral features heremait'ter setforthfandmore particularly defined .b claims the-conclu si'onhereof,

1 In the drawings 1 is a detailvverticalf governor' e nbodying the sectional view' of a f the line2-2 OfFsigQ 1;- Y r s Fig. '3 is adetail 'viewjshowing'the' position of the latches under maximum pressure con;

Fig. 4: is'a detail View showing the position of the latches'under' minimum pressure conditions;v I

Fig; 5 is" adetailsectional-view generally similar to Fig. 1',- showing ain'odification of one of th latches; 'I i I ,1

-Fig. 6 is anelevation viewof a control :2 top cover being removed; I Fig. 7 is a; detail sectional View the line 7-7 of Fig, 6

Fig.8 is a' 'side' elevation ,trol shown in Fig. 6';

cjoinpressor cylinder 6 with. the piston 7 workingtherein and the head'8 provided with an inlet port 9 "comrnunieating with atmosphere overnor fora multicylinder "compressor; the

taken on" Fig. 9 is'a'detailsectional view offa govcontrolled'by the usual type of new, matic'inle'tfvalve 10*" guided in a bushing 11 andnormally'urged'to its seat by a spring 12- l lnterposedbetweens'saidbushing and a wash erlS locked to the exposed upper end of the stem. i I W a A pair oflatches 14 and 15 are associated] together to co'ntrol'the action-of the valve 10,; the latch 1 1 engaging the valve 10 to hold it inf open position so that the compressor. runs again through said port to atmosphere. 5

i The latch 14 is pivotallyfm'ounted on .16 carried by spaced arms '17, similar to arms 55 hereinafter described, between which the latch moveS, Said arms projecting froma base plate, 18 secured tothe cylinder head of-the' compressor adjacent the inlet valve and ha'v- .ing an" opening 19through whichthe upper end of the valve and its springprojects. An

opening 20 is 'provided-in'the free end of this an upright between its bifurcations and to which it'is pivotally connected by a pin 26, saidactuator being moved byineans responsive to pressur'echanges in the system; and a spring 27, is interposed between the end or the i'd1e,-that "is,-- the airfdrawn inthrough the; port-9uponlthe suction stroke'is pushe'dout latch-through which a pin21,:n1ounted in bore in said lever 23 'an-d'theend of a bore 28 1 I 'in the tubular portion 22 and 'acts'to force i said latch 15' outwardlyinto engagement with j the latch 14:; 7 Q:

30 and the latch 15 may have'similarisurs faces 31 and 3201' mayhave its contacting end formed as a roller 33-n1ounted on a, in 34' ca-rriedb'y the slotted end of the tubular shank 22, as shown in Fig. 5.; :In' either instance it will he noted that when the latch "15 v is swung downwardly fromits mid position I it will engage the-lower inclined surface, 29 I- The latch '14h-as inclined surfaces 29 and of the latch 14 and due to its wedging action will slide or roll thereon and lift the latch 14 upwardly to its limit, as shown in Fig. 4, under which conditions the inlet valve is free to function normally so that the compressor acts to draw in air during the suction stroke, compress it during the compression stroke and force it past the discharge valve (.not shown) to the reservoir. This action takes place under conditions of minimum reservoir pressure. In either instance when the latch is swung upwardly from its mid position it will engage the upper inclined surface of the latch 14 and due to its wedging action,

' under the influence of the spring 27 which is stronger than the inlet valve spring 12, it will slide or roll thereon and press down on the latch 14 which then engages the inlet valve stem and acts thereon to hold the inlet valve in open position against the normal closing action of said valve so that the compressor runs idle. This action takes place under conditions of maximum reservoir pressure. The latch 15 and its actuator 23 are limited in their swinging movement by ledges 23 on the base 18 forming a stop engageable with the bottom portion 24 of the part 24 so as to limit the upward swing of this latch.

In each instance the lever 23 is connected beyond its pivot by a pin to the flat-sided head 36 of a rod 37, said head slidably engaging the fiat sides of the slotted end 24 so as to be maintained in proper alinement therewith. This rod carries a washer 38 and a nut 39 adj ustably mounted on the lower threaded end thereof and the governor or controlling spring 40 is interposed between the base plate 18 and the washer and normally acts to swing the lever 23 and hence the latch 15 downwardly. The action of the spring 40 is opposed by the pressure of the fluid in the system and for this purpose a casing member 41. secured to the plate 18 by screws 41 is provided with an end plate 42 which with a movable cup or piston 43 with which the lower end ofthe rod 37 engages and a multiple bellows diaphragm 44 connected on one end to said plate 42 and at its other end to said cup 43 forms a pressure chamber 45 in communication with the reservoir or tank (not shown) through a port connected by a pipe 46 with said reservoir.

Thus, when the pressure in the reservoir reaches maximum value the piston 43 and rod 37 are moved upwardly against the action of the spring 40 and this swings the latch-carrying end of the lever 23 upwardly, with the result heretofore poin ed out of moving the latch 14 downwardly to hold the inlet valve 10 open so as to prevent the compressor from functioning, and when the pressure in the reservoir reaches a minimum value the spring 40 predominates and the piston 43 and rod 37 move downwardly and this swings the latch-carrying end of the lever 23 downwardly, with the result heretofore described of moving the latch 14 upwardly so as to allow the normal functioning of the compressor.

The sliding connection between the latch 15 and the lever 23 provides a lost motion connection which permits movement of the latches past their dead center position.

A cover (7, secured to the base by screws 43 passing through apertured ears 49 on said cover, fits closely over the ends of the pins 16 and .26 so that no special fastening means are required to hold said pins in place, this arrangement being shown in Fig. 2 in connection with the pin 26.

In the construction shown in Figs. 6 to 8, inclusive, the governor base 50 is secured by bolts 51 to the head 52 of a multicylinder compressor having automatically-opening springclosed poppet inlet valves 53, each controlling the passage of air to its cylinder 54. The spaced upright arms 55 of the base 50 have a pivot pin 56 and a stop pin 57 mounted therein. A latch 58 is pivotally mounted on the pin 56 and has an enlarged opening 59 through which the stop pin 57 passes to limit the swinging movement of said latch similar to the latch 14. This latch 58 has a bar or yoke 60 welded or otherwise suitably secured thereto whose ends extend over and are adapted to engage the stems of the inlet valves 53. A latch 61 has a conical end 62 designed to the latch 58 and its tubular portion is slidably mounted in a bore in the lever 63 and pressed outwardly by a spring, as in the first-described construction.

The lever 63 is mounted similar to the lever 23 on a pin 64 carried by an upright 65 and is operatively connected intermediate its ends by a pin 66 to the rod 37 which is shown in detail in Fig. 1 associated with the pressure chamber 45. The extent of upward movement of the lever 63, and hence the latch 61, is limited by ledges 67 on the base 50 forming stops engaged by the bottom portions 68 of the lever 63, and a cover 70 fits over the operating mechanism and is suitably secured to said base. i This construction operates like the first-described construction to cause the latch 61 to operate the latch 58 but in this instance said latch 58 operates to hold both inlet valves open under conditions of maximum reservoir pressure through the contact of the bar 60 with said valves or to permit both valves to function normally when said latch 58 is raised under conditions of minimum pressure. In the construction shown in Fig. 9 the base (1 is secured to the cylinder head 8 and has an upright 7 2 projecting therefrom, said upright being bifurcated and one of said bifurcations being shown. The inlet-valve-engaglatch 7 4 is pivotally mounted between the bifurcations of the upright 72 on a pin 73 and is limited in its upward movement by having a stop portion? engageable with; a;

stop surface 7 6 formed at the base of the forked portions of this upright. The cooperative latch 77 is of tubular form, having a conically rounded outer end i 78 engageab le with the inclined surface 79 and'80 of the latchv member 7 4, said latch being slidably mounted in the bore of an operatingmember 81 and normally urged. outwardly by a spring 82. mounted in said bore and abore 83 in said a latch. The member 81 is formed ass casting I lug 90 projecting from-the base 7.1 and dison the member 81 carries a stop'pin 88'which works in an enlarged opening 89in a. stop posed in front of the lug 87 said pin'88 'and lug 90 cooperating to limit the swinging movement of the operating member SI and latch 77. a a

This construction operates like the firstdescribed construction and causes the latch 7 7 to operate the latch 74' to hold the inlet ashamedwith the inlet valve of the compressor and moved by the other latch to hold said inlet valve in open position under maximum pressure conditions; means associated with each latch for limiting itsswinging movement, and means responsive to pressure changes in the system supplied by the compressor for moving the other latch to effeet the movement of the first named latch,

3. 'In a compressor'control, thecombination with a base mountable uponthe compresso'r, of a latch pivotally mounted on said I w 7 base and operatively connected with the inlet valve of the compressor to hold the same in open position under maximum pressure conditions, a latch, including a-lever, pivotally' mounted, atone end onsaid base and a mem-I ber 'slidably' mounted on said, lever and en-' gageable with said first named latch, said latches having inclined contacting surfaces; spring means for holding said lastrnamed 1 member in engagement with said first-named v latch, means for limiting the pivotalmove ment of said latches, and means connected to saidlever and responsive to pressure changes in the system supplied by the compressor for moving the saidmembe-r to effect the'movemerit. of said first-named latch. V

In testimony whereof, I alfix my signature.

I v FRED NEALE.

' valve open under conditions of maximum reservoir pressureor permit said valve to functionnormally when said latch 74 is raised under cond1t1ons of minimumpressure.

' I desire it to be understood that this inven 7 tion is not to be limited to any specific form r or arrangement of parts except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims.-

What I claim as mymventlon 1s: 1

1. In a compressor control, the combination y with the compressor and the pressure system i supplied thereby, said compressor'having an r inlet valve'controlling passage to atmosphere, of a pair of pivoted latcheshavinginclined contacting surfaces and alostmotion connec tion relative to each other, spring meansfor I holding said latches'injengagementwith each othe-r under the action of saidlost motion connection, one of, said latches being operatively connected with the inlet valve oflthe compressor and moved by the other latch to hold said inlet valve in open position under maxnnumpressure condltions 1n sald system,

and means responsive to pressure changes in I the system supplied by the compressor for moving the otherlatchto effect the movement of the first-named latch; 2. In a compressor controhthe combination of a pair of engaging, swinging latches ha-ving contacting surfaces and a lost motion connection relative to each other, spring means 1 for holding said latches in engagement with each other under'the action of said lost'mo tion connection, one of said latches being op 

